awakening2lite
02-20-2008, 09:37 PM
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/dire-warning-on-climate-change/2008/02/20/1203467179037.html
Dire warning on climate change
February 21, 2008 - 5:00AM
Australia's most influential climate change policymaker is unconvinced world progress on climate change is moving fast enough.
This is the message Professor Ross Garnaut was scheduled to deliver this morning in Adelaide to a meeting of the country's premiers and chief ministers.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2008/02/20/250_garnaut,0.jpg
Professor Ross Garnaut.
Professor Garnaut, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's appointed climate change expert, presented a bleak picture of the world's progress at the Solar Cities Conference yesterday afternoon.
"Without strong action by both developed and major developing countries alike between now and 2020, it will be impossible to avoid high risks of dangerous climate change. The show will be over," his speech read.
And he said the world's reliance on carbon fuels in a rapidly growing world economy remains the major problem, with carbon emissions likely to reach high concentrations by 2030.
He told the conference the world was "decades away" from developing an effective global response to climate change, despite moves in some developing countries.
"Australia has recently committed itself to a reduction of 60 per cent of emissions by 2050," he said.
"The European Union has committed itself to a 60 to 80 per cent reduction by 2050.
"California has legislated an 80 per cent reduction by 2050."
But he told delegates he thought Australia needs to take a tougher stand on emissions.
"Australia would need to be prepared to go considerably further in reduction of emissions as part of an effective global agreement with full participation by major developing countries, designed to reduce risks of dangerous climate change to acceptable levels," Professor Garnaut said.
"Unfortunately, time is not on our side. I am increasingly of the view that climate change is a problem we must as a global community tackle effectively in the next few years if we are to avoid unacceptable levels of risk."
Professor Garnaut is scheduled to report to the Federal Government in October on Australia's long-term policy to cut climate change. A draft report is due in June.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is in Adelaide to be updated on his early research.
"It will impact on government, business and families and it is imperative that we continue to explore new ways to mitigate and adapt to changing weather patterns," Ms Bligh said.
"There is no doubt that as Australia's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, Queensland will have a real role to play and we must be prepared to rise to that challenge."
In his speech yesterday afternoon, Professor Garnaut said there was increasing evidence that atmospheric carbon emissions were increasing at a faster rate than originally believed.
And he predicted strong economic growth in China was the major problem in tackling climate change.
"While worldwide carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industrial processes grew at only one per cent a year on average during the 1990s, they increased at three per cent per year from 2000 to 2006," Professor Garnaut said.
"These recent trends are associated with strong economic growth in the developing world, first of all in China.
"The faster growth has strong momentum and is likely to continue. Scenarios which show rapid future emissions growth which were once considered extreme now seem realistic or moderate.
"There is no reason why emissions will not continue to grow at three per cent a year out to 2030 or even longer."
Dire warning on climate change
February 21, 2008 - 5:00AM
Australia's most influential climate change policymaker is unconvinced world progress on climate change is moving fast enough.
This is the message Professor Ross Garnaut was scheduled to deliver this morning in Adelaide to a meeting of the country's premiers and chief ministers.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2008/02/20/250_garnaut,0.jpg
Professor Ross Garnaut.
Professor Garnaut, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's appointed climate change expert, presented a bleak picture of the world's progress at the Solar Cities Conference yesterday afternoon.
"Without strong action by both developed and major developing countries alike between now and 2020, it will be impossible to avoid high risks of dangerous climate change. The show will be over," his speech read.
And he said the world's reliance on carbon fuels in a rapidly growing world economy remains the major problem, with carbon emissions likely to reach high concentrations by 2030.
He told the conference the world was "decades away" from developing an effective global response to climate change, despite moves in some developing countries.
"Australia has recently committed itself to a reduction of 60 per cent of emissions by 2050," he said.
"The European Union has committed itself to a 60 to 80 per cent reduction by 2050.
"California has legislated an 80 per cent reduction by 2050."
But he told delegates he thought Australia needs to take a tougher stand on emissions.
"Australia would need to be prepared to go considerably further in reduction of emissions as part of an effective global agreement with full participation by major developing countries, designed to reduce risks of dangerous climate change to acceptable levels," Professor Garnaut said.
"Unfortunately, time is not on our side. I am increasingly of the view that climate change is a problem we must as a global community tackle effectively in the next few years if we are to avoid unacceptable levels of risk."
Professor Garnaut is scheduled to report to the Federal Government in October on Australia's long-term policy to cut climate change. A draft report is due in June.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is in Adelaide to be updated on his early research.
"It will impact on government, business and families and it is imperative that we continue to explore new ways to mitigate and adapt to changing weather patterns," Ms Bligh said.
"There is no doubt that as Australia's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, Queensland will have a real role to play and we must be prepared to rise to that challenge."
In his speech yesterday afternoon, Professor Garnaut said there was increasing evidence that atmospheric carbon emissions were increasing at a faster rate than originally believed.
And he predicted strong economic growth in China was the major problem in tackling climate change.
"While worldwide carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industrial processes grew at only one per cent a year on average during the 1990s, they increased at three per cent per year from 2000 to 2006," Professor Garnaut said.
"These recent trends are associated with strong economic growth in the developing world, first of all in China.
"The faster growth has strong momentum and is likely to continue. Scenarios which show rapid future emissions growth which were once considered extreme now seem realistic or moderate.
"There is no reason why emissions will not continue to grow at three per cent a year out to 2030 or even longer."